en-

¹

1. a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from French and productive in English on this model, forming verbs with the general sense “to cause (a person or thing) to be in” the place, condition, or state named by the stem; more specifically, “to confine in or place on” ( enshrine; enthrone; entomb ); “to cause to be in” ( enslave; entrust; enrich; encourage; endear ); “to restrict” in the manner named by the stem, typically with the additional sense “on all sides, completely” ( enwind; encircle; enclose; entwine ). This prefix is also attached to verbs in order to make them transitive, or to give them a transitive marker if they are already transitive ( enkindle; enliven; enshield; enface ).

-en

²

1. a suffix formerly used to form transitive and intransitive verbs from adjectives ( fasten; harden; sweeten ), or from nouns ( heighten; lengthen; strengthen ).

en-

³

1. a prefix meaning “within, in,” occurring in loanwords from Greek:

   energy; enthusiasm.

-en

⁴

1. a suffix used to form adjectives of source or material from nouns:

   ashen; golden; oaken.

-en

⁵

1. a suffix used to mark the past participle in many strong and some weak verbs:

   taken; proven.

-en

⁶

1. a suffix used in forming the plural of some nouns:

   brethren; children; oxen.

-en

⁷

1. a diminutive suffix:

   kitten; maiden.

en

⁸

[ en ]

noun

1. the letter N, n.
2. Also called nut. Printing. half of the width of an em.

adjective

1. Printing. having the area of an en quad or the length of an en:

   en quad; en dash.

EN

⁹

abbreviation for

, Biology, Ecology.

1. endangered ( def 3 ).

-en

¹

suffix forming verbs

1. cause to be; become; cause to have

   heighten

   blacken

en-

²

prefix forming verbs and verbal derivatives

1. in; into; inside

   endemic

-en

³

suffix forming adjectives

1. of; made of; resembling

   wooden

   ashen

   earthen

EN

⁴

abbreviation for

1. enrolled nurse
2. English Nature

en-

⁵

prefix forming verbs and verbal derivatives

1. from nouns
   1. put in or on

      enthrone

      entomb

   2. go on or into

      enplane

   3. surround or cover with

      enmesh

   4. furnish with

      empower

2. from adjectives and nouns cause to be in a certain condition

   enable

   enrich

   enslave

   encourage

en

⁶

/ ɛn /

noun

1. printing a unit of measurement, half the width of an em Also callednut See also ennage

Word History and Origins

Origin of en-¹

Middle English < Old French < Latin in- in- ²

Origin of en-²

Middle English, Old English -n- (as in Middle English fastnen, Old English fǣstnian “to make fast, fasten”); cognate with -n- of like verbs in other Germanic languages ( Old Norse fastna )

Origin of en-³

From Greek (often through Latin ); cognate with in- ¹, in- ²

Origin of en-⁴

Middle English, Old English; cognate with Old High German -īn, Gothic -eins, Latin -īnus; -ine ¹

Origin of en-⁵

Middle English, Old English; cognate with German -en, Old Norse -inn

Origin of en-⁶

Middle English; Old English -an, case ending of n-stem nouns, as in naman oblique singular, and nominative and accusative plural of nama “name”; akin to n-stem forms in other Indo-European languages, as in Latin nōmen, nōmin- “name”

Origin of en-⁷

Middle English, Old English, from neuter of -en ²

Origin of en-⁸

First recorded in 1785–95

Word History and Origins

Origin of en-¹

Old English -n-, as in fæst-n-ian to fasten, of common Germanic origin; compare Icelandic fastna

Origin of en-²

from Greek (often via Latin); compare in- ¹, in- ²

Origin of en-³

Old English -en; related to Gothic -eins, Latin -īnus -ine ¹

Origin of en-⁴

via Old French from Latin in- in- ²

Example Sentences

“The majority has spoken, and researchers are moving en masse” to Bluesky, says De-Shaine Murray, a neuroscientist at Yale University who has also migrated to Bluesky.

From Science Magazine

Dalton Knecht can’t seem to miss from three-point range en route to tying an NBA rookie record and scoring 37 points as the Lakers defeat the Utah Jazz.

From Los Angeles Times

She was among 15 lawmakers who resigned en masse from LegCo after four pro-democracy lawmakers were ousted in November 2020.

From BBC

She is famous for singing ballads - including La Vie en Rose, Milord and La Foule.

From BBC

“The team didn’t even flinch,” Riley said, and neither did Maiava, who followed his slow start with a stretch of nine consecutive completions for 100 yards and two touchdowns en route to a 25-for-35 afternoon for 259 yards and lots of gasps.

From Los Angeles Times